Elijah Abel (1808 - 1884)

Born 25 Jul 1808 in Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States

Husband of Mary Ann (Adams) Abel — married 16 Feb 1847 in Hamilton, Ohio, United States

Descendants

Died 25 Dec 1884 at age 76 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States

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Biography

Elijah Abel is Notable.

Elijah Abel, one of the earliest African-American members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was their first African-American ordained elder, or priest, and first Black Seventy, or missionary priest.^[1]

Elijah Abel is a part of US Black heritage.

Elijah Abel was a Latter Day Saint pioneer.

Featured on US Black Heritage and Latter Day Saints and Century of Black Mormons, Elijah Abel was born on 25 July 1808 in Frederick, Maryland,^[2] possibly to Andrew Abel and Delilah Williams.^[1] However, the church record gives different names for his parents.^[3] See Research Notes, below.

Elijah was grown and living in Ohio when he met Ezekial Roberts, who baptized him in 1832. Elijah moved to Kirtland, Ohio to help build the Kirtland Temple with fellow church members. He was ordained in 1836. Within a year of his ordination, he was ordained into the Seventy and the Third Quorum of the priesthood. He went on missions to New York and Canada in 1836 and 1838.^[4] His missions in Upper Canada were at a time of civil unrest and rebellion, and he was falsely accused and threatened there.^[1]

He later worked as an undertaker, coffin-maker, and grave-digger in Nauvoo, Illinois,^[5] and owned land there.^[6][7] He was assigned by Joseph Smith to lead the LDS Church in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1842.^[1]

Elijah Abel married Mary Ann Adams on 16 February 1847 in Hamilton, Ohio.^[8] Both he and his wife were said to have been one-eighth African.^[1]

Their known children were:^[1]

1. Moroni (1848-1871)
2. Enoch (1850-1901)
3. Anna Rebecca (1853-1907)
4. Delilah (1856)
5. Elijah Jr. (1859-1941)
6. Mary Louisa (1862)
7. Maggie Sophronia (1865)
8. Flora (1869)

They later also adopted a young woman named Rosa or Rola, who was about the age of their oldest son.^[1]

The 1850 census of Cincinnati, Ohio recorded Elija Able, 42, and Mary Ann, 19, with Maroni, age 2.^[9] Although Abel's career in the church had started promisingly, by mid-century anti-Black sentiments were growing throughout the United States, including in some religious organizations. In 1849 it came to a head in the LDS church with a Black priesthood ban and denial of temple ordinances:

Brigham Young pronounced in 1849 statements which officially excluded those of African descent from a temple endowment or the wielding of priesthood power. Yet, as one who already held the priesthood, Abel continued to serve as a seventy in Cincinnati from 1842 to 1853,[60] and in the autumn of 1883 served another mission to Cincinnati shortly before his death.[61]^[1]

Elijah and family migrated west to Salt Lake, Utah and arrived on 16 October 1853 in Deseret, Utah, having traveled with the Appleton M. Harmon Company.^[10] The 1860 census of Great Salt Lake City, Utah recorded Elijah and Mary Ann with five children. He was working as a carpenter.^[11] During some of his years in Salt Lake City, Elijah operated a boarding house, but he later lost the property.^[12] By 1870, the family had moved to Ogden, Weber, Utah Territory, and were listed as Elijah Ables, 68[sic] and Maryann 38; with Rosa, 21; Enoch, 18; Ella, 16; Delila, 14; Elijah, 10; Mary L., 7; Maggie, 5; and Flora, 1. Elijah was a carpenter with $400 in real estate and $200 in personal estate.^[13]

His wife died in 1877. The 1880 census of Salt Lake City recorded Elijah as a widower, a renter in the household of James and Martha Shelmerdine in Salt Lake City.^[14]

After moving to Utah Territory, Abel asked Brigham Young for permission to be sealed to his wife and children, which was denied.[8][21] Abel again requested a sealing five years later to his deceased wife, son, and daughter—this time from President John Taylor, who then passed it on for the body of the Twelve to consider.[3][21] Abel's request was again refused, and he was not allowed to enter the temple to be endowed.[8][21][62]^[1]

In 1883-84 Elijah went on a last mission to Cincinnati, Ohio and Canada. He became ill and died in Utah on 25 December 1884, just two weeks after his return to Salt Lake City, Utah.^[15][1][16] He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery.^[17]

Research Notes

On his parents:

• Many people believe that Andrew C. Abell and Delilah Williams were Elijah's parents. He gave those names as his parents in testimony to Joseph F Smith when he requested permission to be able to go to the temple and be sealed to his deceased wife, son and daughter. Those handwritten notes are attached as a PDF. The problem is that both of them lived and then died in Connecticut with no record of having lived in Maryland, where Elijah was born. On the other hand, his membership records in the church list different names. There he says his father is Elijah Abel and his mother is Mindwell Hosford. They also were married in Connecticut and died there. So it is unclear who Elijah's parents were.

On his date of birth, Wikipedia says this:

There is some confusion surrounding Abel's birth year, given that some sources put the year at 1808 and others at 1810.[10][11][12][13] However, the 1850 Census record marks 1808 as the year of Abel's birth,[14] and both Abel's patriarchal blessing and grave marker record 1808 as his birth year.[2][15]^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10} Wikipedia contributors, "Elijah Abel," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elijah_Abel&oldid=1160331873 (accessed September 11, 2023).
2. ↑ Patriarchal Blessing of Elijah Abel, c. 1836, recorded by W. A. Cowdery with penned preamble, "[Patriarchal] Blessing of Elijah Able[sic] who was born in Frederick County, Maryland, July 25th 1808." "Joseph Smith’s Patriarchal Blessing Record" (1833–1843), 88. LDS Church Archives.
3. ↑ Birth: "Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-1848"
   Ancestry Record 5333 #120 (accessed 3 February 2023)
4. ↑ Baptism and Missionary Service: Church History Biographical Database https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/chd/individual/elijah-able-1810?lang=eng
5. ↑ Century of Black Mormons https://exhibits.lib.utah.edu/s/century-of-black-mormons/page/able-elijah#?c=&m=&s=&cv=&xywh=-571%2C-74%2C2618%2C1461
6. ↑ Property Bond in Nauvoo JS, Sidney Rigdon, and Hyrum Smith, Bond for property in Nauvoo [Commerce], Hancock Co., IL, to Elijah Able, 8 Dec. 1839; printed form with manuscript additions in the handwriting of Robert B. Thompson; signatures of JS, Sidney Rigdon, and Hyrum Smith; one page; Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU. Includes docket, notations, and archival markings. https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/bond-to-elijah-able-8-december-1839/1#source-note
7. ↑ See images of land records from Nauvoo, attached at right.
8. ↑ Marriage: "Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1774-1993"
   Marriage Records. Ohio Marriages. Various Ohio County Courthouses
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 61378 #133380 (accessed 3 February 2023)
9. ↑ 1850 Census: "1850 United States Federal Census"
   The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Cincinnati Ward 10, Hamilton, Ohio; Roll: 691; Page: 89a; Line Number: 41
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8054 #13815219 (accessed 3 February 2023)
10. ↑ Migration: "Utah Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database, 1847-1868"
    FamilySearch Record: QK9B-CQPT (accessed 3 February 2023)
    https://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/pioneerDetail?pioneerId=11996
    Name: Elijah Able; Immigration Date: 16 Oct 1853; Immigration Place: Deseret, United States; Birth Date: 25 Jul 1808; Death Date: 25 Dec 1884; Emigration Date: 16 Jun 1853; Sort Bir Date: 25 Jul 1808; Sort Dea Date: 25 Dec 1884; Misc Note: LZJ3-43Z; Company Name: Appleton M. Harmon Company; Event Place Sup: Utah, United States; Event Place Year Range: 1847-1868.
11. ↑ 1860 Census: "1860 United States Federal Census"
    The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Great Salt Lake City Ward 13, Great Salt Lake, Utah Territory; Roll: M653_1313; Page: 172; Family History Library Film: 805313
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7667 #34762872 (accessed 3 February 2023)
12. ↑ Century of Black Mormons https://exhibits.lib.utah.edu/s/century-of-black-mormons/page/able-elijah#?c=&m=&s=&cv=&xywh=-571%2C-74%2C2618%2C1461
13. ↑ 1870 Census: "1870 United States Federal Census"
    Year: 1870; Census Place: Ogden, Weber, Utah Territory; Roll: M593_1613; Page: 477B
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7163 #11074062 (accessed 3 February 2023)
14. ↑ 1880 Census: "1880 United States Federal Census"
    Year: 1880; Census Place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah; Roll: 1337; Page: 37A; Enumeration District: 042
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6742 #14016483 (accessed 3 February 2023)
15. ↑ Last Mission to Cincinnati Ohio: "Deaths," Deseret News, 31 December 1884, p.16 (image attached)
16. ↑ Death: "Salt Lake County, Utah, U.S., Death Records, 1908-1949"
    Utah, Salt Lake County Death Records, 1908-1949. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013
    Ancestry Record 60203 #39596 (accessed 3 February 2023)
17. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
    Find A Grave: Memorial #9332072 (accessed 3 February 2023)
    Memorial page for Elijah Abel (25 Jul 1810-25 Dec 1884), citing Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, USA (plot: I- 14- 12- S2); Maintained by SMS (contributor 46491005).

See also:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah_Abel